As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the upcoming release of “Metaphor: ReFantazio” has piqued my interest like no other game in recent memory. Having traversed countless virtual realms and political landscapes, I find myself drawn to this title not only for its visually stunning graphics and captivating soundtrack but also for its nuanced narrative and thought-provoking themes.
Since Atlus unveiled “Metaphor: ReFantazio”, the upcoming roleplaying game from Studio Zero, helmed by the talented team consisting of Katsura Hashino, director of the Persona series, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro, the game, previously referred to as “Project Re:Fantasy“, has been eagerly anticipated by fans as a “fantasy Persona”. At first sight, this label seems reasonable. The initial glimpses of “Metaphor: ReFantazio” showcase many visual hallmarks reminiscent of the Persona series, such as striking design elements in the user interface. However, spending just a few hours with “Metaphor: ReFantazio” reveals that this brief summary is overly simplistic. I was fortunate to spend those few hours with “Metaphor: ReFantazio” during a special preview event hosted by Atlus and Sega (the game’s North American publisher) in August. Here’s my take on the experience.
In the tale of “ReFantazio,” the story commences with the demise of a king who yearned for an ideal society, known as Euchronia. This world is inhabited by diverse tribes, much like the various races found in a Dungeons & Dragons manual, boasting unique physical characteristics and varying affinities towards magic. Some exert more influence within this society than others. The late king and his son, who was thought to be deceased but actually lies in a magical trance, envisioned unity among these tribes. There are whispers that their apparent deaths may have been orchestrated by those who do not align with their vision for Euchronia’s future.
Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s First Hours
As a devotee, I find myself embodying a member of the Elda tribe, a group marked as “impure” by the prevailing faith of Euchornia due to our innate magical abilities. My character is none other than the childhood friend of the prince, and I’m about to embark on a clandestine journey to the capital, accompanied by my trusted fairy companion, Gallica. However, things take an unexpected turn when a political upheaval occurs, causing me to shift focus from my initial mission.
Initially, players take charge of the main character following an unexpected attack on his caravan en route to the capital city. To reach their destination, players must navigate a treacherous terrain teeming with monstrous creatures. At first, I naively assumed the game’s warning about these monsters as a challenge to test the combat system, leading to my quick demise. It wasn’t until later that I understood the objective was to evade the beasts rather than engage them in battle – an unexpected experience for a game of this genre, subtly emphasizing one of the game’s central themes: anxiety.
In the beginning of Metaphor: ReFantazio, similar to the initial stages of a Persona game, the narrative is primarily focused on cutscenes and dialogue that establish the game’s setting, its world, and upcoming events. The protagonist embarks on the early phases of his plan, such as joining the army. During this time, players are introduced to key elements like igniters – devices enabling those without innate magical abilities to harness power. They also learn about other tribes and power structures in Euchornia. Along the journey, they make new acquaintances, among them the fallen noble Stohl. Subsequently, the protagonist and Stohl delve into a tower under siege by a colossal beast known as a “human.”
As a fan, I’ve noticed an intriguing difference in the way Metaphor: ReFantazio handles its characters compared to games like Persona. Instead of humanizing its monsters, ReFantazio uses them as unique entities, setting it apart by maintaining a distinct boundary between player and character. Unlike Persona where we embody a silent protagonist and use them as a mirror for our own selves, in ReFantazio, the player and hero are separate beings with individual names. The hero’s ability to speak in ReFantazio further distances him from being a player avatar, unlike any of Persona’s main characters.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Combat
In the game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, the central theme is mirrored in its combat system as well. Unlike Persona games where only the main character can switch between multiple personas during battles, every member of your party in Metaphor: ReFantazio can swap between unlocked archetypes. These archetypes function similarly to personas but define a party member’s role more clearly, similar to the job system in some Final Fantasy games. Archetypes range from traditional roles like Healer, Warrior, Mage, and Thief, to less conventional ones such as Merchant or Faker.
In the game Metaphor: ReFantazio, some aspects of its combat are similar to modern Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. The distinctive “Push Turn” system, initially introduced by Atlus in their RPG battles, is reintroduced here. This system allows players to gain additional turns by exploiting an enemy’s vulnerabilities. Additionally, the party in this game collectively shares a common action pool, spending actions strategically. Attacks that target an enemy’s weakness consume only half the number of actions compared to those that do not.
Following the initial stages of the game and a brief pause, I delved deeper into the gameplay. It soon became apparent that we had missed some crucial narrative events. The protagonist was now trying to win over voters. With a fully-staffed party at my disposal, I had to pick which four characters would join me on my mission. Initially, I opted for the default quartet, each embodying the traditional tabletop RPG roles of warrior, healer, mage, and thief. However, as you’ll see shortly, this decision was ill-advised.
Instead of diving deeper into the main story, I opted to explore the city built by our faction in search of a sidetrip. Soon, a cherished item belonging to the protagonist was stolen, leaving me no choice but to seek assistance from a suspicious figure nearby. Unsurprisingly, this character wasn’t willing to help for free and demanded I retrieve an artifact from an old, deserted tomb in exchange. Agreeing to his terms, I hopped into my Gauntlet Runner – reminiscent of a mix between the cat bus in My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle – and embarked on my journey.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Dungeon Crawling
Managing and effectively utilizing a restricted time period is a vital gameplay aspect that’s found not just in the Persona series, but also in the game Metaphor: ReFantazio. Unlike the Persona series which is set within a single city or Tokyo neighborhood, Metaphor: ReFantazio allows exploration across various locations. This travel consumes time, specifically two days for my journey, and necessitates resting at the end of each day by camping. During these breaks, players can engage in activities to foster relationships with their companions, which eventually unlock new abilities for different character types. My adventure was also marked by encounters with a Gauntlet Runner, who was another contender for kingship and expressed a controversial ideology that the young should serve and support the old, similar to a distorted vision of a social safety net (later in the day, developers hinted this character may have more depth as he symbolizes a group of veterans from a largely forgotten war).
After successfully outmaneuvering my political adversary in a physical contest, as is customary, my followers made their way to the tomb, where they found themselves embarking on an adventure strikingly similar to that of a tabletop role-playing game. They encountered undead foes, secret doorways, concealed passageways, and grumbly treasure chests with a mind of their own. The tomb was said to be one of several optional dungeons scattered across the landscape, each meticulously crafted by the designers instead of randomly generated. These side quest dungeons offered diverse aesthetics, themes, and settings.
Additionally, you’ll encounter several versions of the menacing treasure chest monster in the dungeon, including a colossal boss variant. (It was disheartening to find out that, even though I knew it was a trap, my characters had no choice but to engage in battle if they wished to finish the quest. However…) This beast pushed the boundaries of my emerging understanding of Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s mechanics to the utmost. I was compelled to carefully consider each move and near-move to prevent a complete wipeout of my party.
1. I won the fight and finished my mission in the tomb later. I discovered afterwards that I found the boss challenging because I kept the original party composition. If I had spent more time exploring the town and given some coins to the local “tipster” character, they would have informed me about the benefits of having a Merchant-type character. As many players found out, a character with the Merchant archetype can throw coins at the chest boss, diverting its attention and making it simpler to defeat. Information is power, especially when organizing an excursion into a crypt filled with monsters.
After getting back to the city, I picked up my mission. A sequence unfolded next wherein the shady character handed over my weapon, as agreed, and hinted that I should be ready to navigate the murky waters of morality, using spies and information networks if I aspired to become king. This encounter granted me a new connection, allowing me access to the Faker persona, who excels in deception. The scene echoed the pivotal moment in a political narrative where an idealistic candidate makes their initial significant concession, hinting at more potentially ahead.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Is More Than Fantasy Persona
The Gauntlet Runner to Gauntlet Runner pre-battle shouting and the more subtle scene with the Faker bond was about as overtly political as my playthrough got. Hashino in a pre-taped video message, and the developers on hand for the Q&A both emphasized that, despite the election-year timing of the game’s release and the use of an election as a device, Metaphor: ReFantazio has no political agenda and instead focuses on that them of anxiety.. I question whether it’s possible to build an apolitical game (if such a thing exists) around such explicitly political trappings, and if the effort to hang societal conflict on personal, or even collective anxieties may ultimately be to the game’s detriment.
Although my short and disjointed experience with Metaphor: ReFantazio has left me wanting more, its striking visual style from Studio Zero, catchy soundtrack by Shoji Meguro (a favorite from Persona), along with the familiar rhythm of daily chores and strategic combat, could have easily lulled me into a soothing, rhythmic gaming trance – a trait this creative team is known for. However, labeling Metaphor: ReFantazio as a fantasy-themed Persona feels unjust. It appears that the team is experimenting with fresh concepts, both in gameplay and narrative themes, which makes it all the more exciting to anticipate what lies ahead.
On October 11, 2024, the game ReFantazio will make its global debut, available for play on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, personal computers using Windows, as well as Xbox Series X/S consoles.
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2024-08-29 21:40